Everyone is familiar with the word 'trump' as it pertains to playing cards. “To bring a superior card to bear”, or in a broader context a verb meaning to bring superior force, superior intelligence, superior resources to bear upon the situation.
In 2016, Robinson Meyer, writing in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine , accused the then presidential candidate of perpetrating “a crime against the English language”. “It seems probable”, continued Meyer, “that his campaign will doom a perfectly pleasant word, a happy verb with a 750 year history.” (1)”
It had a good run, entering the language in the “late 14th century”. Its first meaning, however had nothing to do with cards rather “a trump was a trumpet, and if you trumped, you were just blowing your horn” (1). Sound familiar?
“For a long time all trumps were noisy”, writes Meyer, citing Shakespeare and the Bible, “but even if they made a joyful noise, not all trumps were holy. Trump also means, especially in British English, to, erm, break wind...
“Trump has exuded this meaning for centuries. A Latin translation guide from the 1550's gave trump as a synonym for crepo which is defined like this: Trump or let crakke or fart” (1) It wasn't until the 1550's that the term began to assume and not until the late 1600's that it achieved its current meaning, this trump being a bastardization of the French word triumph. Nevertheless, other meanings emerged as in deceive or cheat, as in bring trumped-up charges, or a worthless trifle, known to us as trumpery.
Still, as Meyer points out, it is the “noisy trump” that echoes down through history, quite appropriate for the blowhard now in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Caesar Disgustus is the “idiot wind.” (2); an ill-wind from the backsides of the village idiot. I hope the term survives this national and, perhaps, global catastrophe. I think the term has potential. We need to resurrect the archaic meaning: trump as fart. In this case, channeling our Pepe Le Pew, a disgusting, foul-smelling, greasy fart. In addition, I can envision the word trump assuming new meanings as in: verb, adjective, pejorative, meaning gullible, fool, ignorant, incompetent, coarse, boorish, uncouth, submissive, whining, pitiful, beneath the dignity of men. Usage, as in: "What a Trump!" or, "Don't be such a trump!” or, "I cannot bring myself to believe you're such a fucking Trump!". Perhaps, in a final accolade, Trump replaces Benedict Arnold as a term synonymous with sedition or Treason.
“an' Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh”.
Impeach and Imprison
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- Meyer, Robinson. “Another Victim of The Election: the verb 'to Trump'. The Atlantic Monthly Magazine October 25, 2016. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/10/ave-atque-trumpe/505259/
- See : December 2, 2014: Generation of Swine, The Idiot, Bad Citizenship for a discussion of the original meaning of the term 'idiot'.
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